Ardeidae

/ɑrdeɪˈɪdiː/ noun

Definition

The taxonomic family that includes all herons, egrets, and bitterns, characterized by long legs, necks, and pointed beaks.

Etymology

From Latin ardea (heron) plus the scientific family suffix -idae, standardized in Linnaean taxonomy to denote a biological family of organisms.

Kelly Says

Ardeidae is one of the most recognizable bird families, and every heron from Japan to Florida belongs to the same scientific family that Aristotle was observing 2,300 years ago—only the precise naming is modern.

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